Eve of the Dancing Princesses
by Mirai Akina
Summary: Inspired by "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." A mystery surrounding the Kingdom of Elysion and its twelve princesses draws Prince Chung of Hamel to investigate its gilded walls. He's going to need all the help he can get...if he wants to resist "love at first sight" long enough to uncover the kingdom's secret.


**A.N. Say hello to another prompt submission! Or uhh...not really? The prompt this time is "Folktales," and I did spend a day or two searching for one to adapt. It's just...this one isn't really a folktale? Whoops? Anyway, this is my first Cheve fic, so fum, this is for you.**

There once was a kingdom ruled by a widowed king, who had twelve daughters with his beloved queen before she died. Each of his daughters were all beautiful maidens, and the king, wanting to find them the right husbands, spread the word of their beauty to the ends of his kingdom. However, as nobles sent their sons to court the princesses, it was clear that, under their fair complexions, they were hiding something deep within their hearts.

…

A white-haired girl awoke to find her sisters still sleeping in their beds. She ran a hand through her thick hair and performed a hair toss, successfully getting the rest of her white strands out from under her bottom. Pushing herself off of the bed, she slid her feet into her fluffy rabbit sandals and stretched her drowsiness away. She walked towards the bedroom door, and before she could place her hand on the knob, it swung open. The king marched in with a stern frown.

"Good morning, father," she greeted, instinctively bowing her head.

"Eve," his voice left no room for small pleasantries. "Your shoes."

Eve, still keeping her head down, wandered back to her bed and pulled out a pair of silver ballet flats. She flipped it over and revealed matching twin holes in the middle of the shoes. The king held back a groan of frustration as he exited the room without another word.

Her sisters, now awake from the commotion, laid a barrage of glares at the partly opened door.

"Can't father just leave us alone?" a purple-haired princess moaned out.

"Yeah, it's none of his business what we do," another white-haired girl whined.

"He's not going to stop until he exposes our secret," Eve bitterly reminded them, but her words fell on deaf ears as her sisters talked about something more interesting.

"Hey, Aisha! I saw you getting cozy with our newest prince!" a new voice interjected. It was high-pitched with just the right amount of sweetness to masquerade her devious personality. "I think his name was...Elsword?"

Aisha covered her glowing cheeks. "W-What about you, Ara? You had three princes wrapped around your fingers last night!"

Ara, a black-haired busty princess a few years older than Aisha and Eve, chuckled as if she had struck gold. "It's not my fault we have a surplus of princes to choose from."

"Actually, it's more like you're hogging them to yourself," Aisha retorted as she threw her ballet flats at Ara.

Eve looked away from her gossiping sisters and exited their bedroom. Her heart was beating with a dull rhythm. She sighed heavily and pushed herself to the bathroom. If she didn't, then her sisters would hog it for hours.

…

The king was at his wit's end. Yet another prince had failed to uncover his daughters' secret. He had hoped that the last one would be able to discover what they're hiding from the world. Aisha was rather enamored with him, after all.

"Your Highness, a letter for you," one of the servants announced, the mentioned envelope in his hands. The lowly peasant tore off the fold and began to read out the contents of the paper.

"To the king of Elysion, I have received your letter about your proposition. The rumors circulating our court about your daughters are troublesome. Many princes have gone missing trying to uncover their secrets, and I fear that my son will be yet another victim. However, he has expressed a fervent desire to discover what exactly they're hiding, and so, he will be at your castle gates in three days' time. Please take care of him during his stay, and may Ishmael protect him from any sinister witchcraft. The king of Hamel, Helputt."

His Highness growled at the last part. Sinister witchcraft? His daughters were pure angels, unable to hurt a fly. Who was he to assume such blasphemous things?

For once, the king wanted this next prince to fail. That would teach King Helputt to not talk about his daughters in that way.

"Servants, prepare for our next guest!" he commanded. The maids and butlers currently present all dashed to their respective places. In their rush, they didn't notice Eve standing next to the entrance of the king's throne room, her presence hidden by the heavy doors.

She lifted her head up and tightened her frown. With another hair toss, the princess headed back to her room.

…

"Chung, are you sure about this?" a red-haired knight asked. The worry in her eyes contrasted heavily with the armor that she was wearing and the posture that her body assumed. Chung nodded once.

"I have to, Elesis. My father is pressuring me to pick a bride, and I do not want to meet any of his candidates. I know firsthand of their wicked personalities."

"And you think that these princesses aren't secretly malicious? Other princes have gone missing trying to court them!"

The prince faced the knight with a hard glare. "There must be a reason for it. Ever since news of that kingdom reached my father's ears, he and I constantly argued about the nature of those princesses. And besides, you want your brother to come home, right?"

At the mention of Elsword, Elesis stopped arguing with him. The pain in her eyes intensified, and her worry for her brother consumed the rest of her words. Seeing this, Chung placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I promise that I'll bring him back. You should head back to your kingdom before my people realize that you're here."

With one shaky sigh, the red-haired knight stepped back and bowed her head. "Please stay safe."

Chung tossed himself up onto his horse and flicked the reins. The white stallion whined once before dashing towards the prince's destination.

…

A day before Hamel's prince would appear on their doorsteps, Rena pulled Eve aside for a private conversation in their bedroom. Her oldest sibling, just like all of them, radiated beauty, but her type of beauty was more elegant and composed. Always with a motherly smile and a welcoming aura, Rena was the splitting image of their late mother.

Eve often envied her. Whenever a prince visited and laid his eyes on her well-endowed chest and thick thighs, it became more and more difficult to hide the bitter feeling in her heart.

"Eve, can you tell me what's bothering you? I don't want us to keep secrets from each other."

The white-haired maiden was quick to deny her. "Nothing is wrong, sister."

Rena smiled in a way that signaled that she was expecting this kind of answer. "Then call me by my name."

"...I don't know if we should keep this secret anymore, Rena."

Eve watched her sister's hazel eyes sparkle with a curious glint. "Why is that?"

"These princes...don't deserve to be trapped here. Do you know what the other kingdoms are calling us now? They're calling us witches!"

As if a switch was pressed, Rena's face dropped the calm facade. "We are not witches. The princes are enticed by the magic in that land. It's not our fault."

"It is our fault!" Eve snapped back, also dropping her normally composed tone. "We're the ones keeping them here, brainwashed to fulfill our selfish wishes! I can't take it anymore…"

The white-haired princess was just a shout away from breaking down. Rena stepped closer and embraced her sister, patting her head gently. The gesture reminded Eve of her mother back when she was still alive. Being comforted like this only made her heart ache more.

"Do you remember the story that mother used to read to us? The one about how she met father?" Rena brought up.

"Yes...they met at a ball, and it was love at first sight."

"She always talked about how dancing can make us forget about our troubles. When she died, and when we found that place, we all thought that if we danced there enough...we would get over mother's death."

"But now, it's not like that. All of our other sisters are obsessed with snagging as many princes as possible! When did it turn from our hidden paradise to a magical prison?"

There was conflict brewing within Rena, the brown and the green in her eyes clashing against each other. Eve looked down, knowing exactly what her older sister is thinking.

"You don't want anyone to find out about our secret because once the princes break free from the spell, they won't want to stay anymore. More specifically...you don't want Raven to leave you," the white-haired princess deduced.

Rena bit her lip, unable to retort. Eve pulled away from her embrace and headed towards the door.

"Wait, Eve!"

"I'll keep quiet, Rena. Don't worry. I...I understand how you feel. We're already too deep into this, aren't we?"

…

Chung found himself lost in a dense forest. His horse was steadily advancing forward, but the prince felt like he had made a wrong turn. Helputt didn't mention a forest that he needed to pass through.

"Oh my. It's not every day that somebody trespasses into my territory."

The prince unstrapped the cannon from his back. He listened for any signs of his observer, whether it be leaves being crushed or the wind blowing in a certain direction.

"That's a giant weapon that you have there, but it won't be effective against me. Behind you, good sir."

Turning his head to the source of the voice, he first saw a giant mirror floating in midair. Dark energy coated the normally clear surface, making the object more threatening than it actually was. A pair of hands gripped the silver edges, which were adorned with black flowers. Then, a young girl walked out of the shadows and flashed a smile that fully displayed her fangs. She had bright pink hair that was impossible to miss in the darkness. A white dress was draped over her body, and a dark blue flower hung from the similarly colored band over her chest.

Chung raised an eyebrow.

"What's a little girl doing out here all alone?"

"This is my home," the pink-haired girl responded. "I'm Laby, the guardian of these woods. And you are…"

The prince kept his cannon aimed at Laby. "Prince Chung of Hamel."

"Hamel? That's the first time I've ever heard of that place," she squealed out. "Oh, you just have to tell me more!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm in a hurry."

Laby's pink eyes gleaned dangerously. "You're heading to the kingdom of Elysion, right?"

"H-How did you know…?"

"The forest tells me everything," she explained as the mirror beside her began to swirl with a mixture of blue and black energy. "How about a trade, then? You tell me about Hamel, and I'll tell you how to expose the princesses' secret."

Chung finally strapped his weapon onto his back, silently declaring his intentions. "Hamel is a kingdom with many canals. Water flows everywhere, and we often travel by small boats." Laby stared at him as if latching onto his every word.

"Wow...a place full of water...I wonder what's that like."

The prince coughed once, urging the little girl to fulfill her end of the bargain. She dipped her hand into the mirror and pulled out...something. He assumed it was something, but the only thing he could see was the surface of the dark glass rippling like water.

"Here, this is a cloak of invisibility. You can use it to sneak around inside of the palace. Also, do not accept anything that the princesses give you. If you do, you will end up like the other princes."

A soft blanket was placed in his hands. When he glanced down to inspect it further, he could see his arm through the fabric. Chung tried the cloak on to test whether or not it actually worked. From Laby's awed look, he was safe to assume that the magical item did hide him from plain sight.

"How do you know these things? Why can't you tell me what their secret is?" the prince interrogated the young girl. Laby merely smiled, showing off a layer of snow-white teeth. It was an innocent grin, but the slight upward tilt of her lips revealed a hint of maliciousness.

"The king requires proof, or else he won't believe you. And as for how I know...I'm a witch, Prince Chung. Witches don't give away their sources."

…

Like many of the princes before him, Chung was given a welcome made for a king. The palace seemed to sparkle, the gold walls reflecting the light in a way that almost blinded him. When he passed through the large gate, a row of servants systemically bowed before him, waiting for their guest to reach the throne.

Before the king were the twelve princesses, dressed in fancy ball gowns, all staring intently at the prince. While most of them eyed him with almost wicked glee, one of them, the princess with long white hair and amber eyes, was looking at him with pity.

"Welcome, Prince Chung," the king's voice boomed across the wide room. "Your journey must have been a long one. Servants, let us move to the dining hall. We must give our guest a feast to remember."

The maids and butlers scattered like a swarm of ants. The princesses gathered around him, and he was sucked into a sea of perfume, high-pitched giggles, and flirty looks.

"We've heard so much about you! Tell me, what's it like in Hamel?"

"What a large weapon that you have there! Who made it? Have you ever used it in battle?"

"Hey, I want to be near him, too!"

Chung searched for the princess with the sorrowful orange eyes, but he couldn't do anything against the waves of hands pushing him to the dining hall. Eventually, he settled for placing a hand on his cannon and answering the questions that were being fired at him.

Dinner was as extravagant as the king promised. A line of dishes swallowed the sheer white tablecloth draping over the dining table. Meats that made his mouth drool with their salty aroma, drinks that he could see himself getting addicted to...all of this served to test the strength of his wariness. When the princesses started to pile food onto his plate, Chung was vividly reminded of Laby's warning.

"_I can't eat or drink any of this...not if I want to end up like Elsword and the others…" _

He looked to his left and noticed that the white-haired princess, Eve, was surveying the vast array of dishes in front of her. Her plate laid mysteriously empty.

"Princess Eve," Chung called, grabbing the silent maiden's attention. "Would you like the food on my plate? I'm afraid that what I wanted to try is buried somewhere in this pile." Eve nodded slowly and watched as he grabbed his plate and strolled over to her side. As he served the princess, the prince's gaze lingered on her form. She was wearing a shoulder-less white dress with a skirt that arched across her thighs. Black, gold, and pink trimmings traced the edges of the gown. Judging from the neat buns pressed against the sides of her head, Chung inferred that her hairstyle was something that was practiced to the point of perfection.

In short, Eve was someone who exuded grace. The prince found himself picturing her within his kingdom, with the dress flowing behind her like the water that Hamel is so well known for.

Upon realizing that Chung was staring at her for an abnormal amount of time, Eve nervously adjusted her poofy sleeves to hide her shoulders more. "I think that's enough food for now," she evenly points out.

He sharply recoiled, borderline snapping to attention. "Oh, right. I hope you enjoy."

A tiny grin crawled to her face as she munched on a piece of bacon covered in mashed potatoes. She had eaten this more times than she can count, but hearing him say that made her want to chuckle at just how _unnecessary _it was. And as the king urged Chung to eat, she rested her gaze onto the hesitating prince and smiled.

…

He had somehow managed to avoid that trap. Despite the attention being poured on him, Chung was able to deceive them long enough so that they didn't see how he managed to get rid of the food on his plate.

There was a reason why he brought his cannon other than protection.

But now, he found himself facing another problem. After dinner, the residents of the palace went their separate ways to prepare for the night. Chung, too, had already retired to his room when he heard a light tap on his door.

"Prince Chung, may I come in?" His eyes widened, recognizing the formal and mature tone of Eve's voice.

"Yes, of course."

The door swung open, and the prince couldn't stop himself from widening his eyes. Her hair, now unraveled from her buns, almost touched the floor. The white nightgown she had on was adorned with a giant white bow attached to her waist. In her hands was a single glass of red wine.

Chung had to flick his eyes away when he realized her dress was partly see-through.

"P-Princess...what brings you here?" he stammered out, silently cursing himself for getting flustered.

Eve slowly strolled to his bed and extended her arm, offering the drink to the prince. "I want you to try this. It's made from the grapes in our garden."

His mind, already frazzled from having to think about every single move he made in this place, struggled to come up with an excuse to turn down her request. _"Wait a minute...she just entered my room. No one else is awake. We're alone in my room."_

He could feel himself malfunctioning from the rampant implications his tired mind was stirring up. When his hand reached for the cup, he couldn't hear the warning sirens alerting him that he was heading towards a dangerous place. He shakily thanked the princess. The white-haired maiden eyed him expectedly, not moving from her spot.

"_Oh no, she's waiting for me to drink it…"_

His suspicions were confirmed when Eve batted her eyelashes, the citrine color of her eyes darkening to a seductive amber. He sluggishly shifted his gaze from the drink to the princess as he stalled for time.

Gulping again, he had to turn his whole body just to avoid staring at her again.

"Is there something wrong, Prince Chung?" she softly asked. Thankfully, she didn't lean forward onto the bed in an attempt to get a better look of his red cheeks.

"_Wait...maybe…"_

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just...I wonder if you know what you're doing," Chung admitted, still keeping his head away from her curious eyes. "You've wandered into a man's room alone, bearing a cup of wine. It's very clear to me that you're expecting something."

He heard her gasp. The light, breathy sound was scandalous in his ears. "I-I see what you mean, but I can assure you that I'm not looking for something like that. J-Just please try the wine. It's very good."

His attention was drawn again to the accursed cup. His cannon was too far away from him, and there was no way he could pretend to drink it while she's around. He had to push her enough so that she gave him an opportunity for him to dispose of the wine.

"Is that so, princess? I came here looking for a bride to bring back to my kingdom. Being in this situation, it's only natural that I assume that you're seducing me," Chung asserted as he whipped his head around and stared straight at the princess.

Eve's heart felt like bursting. She could see the desire steadily building within his crystal blue eyes. His hungry gaze did intimidate her, but it also sparked something feral inside of her, and she had to turn away before he could notice how he was affecting her.

He sprang into action the moment her eyes were off of him. Grabbing her shoulders, he leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "You should probably go before we do something we can't take back later."

Eve almost squeaked. "V-Very well. I-I will see you in the morning."

He observed her as she dashed out of the room. His door was left barely open, and Chung quickly reached for his cannon and dumped the wine into it. He then collapsed onto his bed, and for a moment, he felt like passing out.

"_I hope no one learns about what just happened. If Elsword ever finds out, he'll never let me live it down."_

His heart refused to calm down. Even though it was just her shoulder, touching her bare skin made him want to mark-!

Chung hauled himself off of his bed before he could finish the thought. He placed his cannon onto the bed and adjusted the blankets so that no one would suspect anything. Pulling out the invisible cloak from his belongings, the prince hid himself and peeked through the crack of the door. He could see Eve pressed up against the wooden entrance, her hair shielding her face from his view.

"_She hasn't left yet. Maybe she will once she realizes that she can't get anything else from me."_

He released a series of snores that were spaced out rhythmically. Eve poked her head into the room and took a quick glance inside. Her eyes narrowed as if struggling to see what's on his bed. Eventually, she nodded once and turned away from his room. Chung slipped through the small gap and trailed the princess back to her room, his heart still beating unevenly.

…

Eve, upon returning to her room, was instantly surrounded by her sisters, who demanded to know why it took her so long to convince Chung to drink the wine. She kept her mouth shut on the matter and instead shoved her way to her bed, where a large and majestic ball gown waited for her. The white-haired princess picked it up and began to change into it.

The dress was shoulder-less, with a pair of blue bows adorning the frilly sleeves. More blue bows trailed down the middle of the top part, which led to a very wide plaid skirt. A line of blue roses circled around the bottom of the skirt.

As Eve put on a pair of long white gloves, Aisha slid a pair of blue slippers onto her sister's feet. Rena walked over and placed a flowery headband onto her silvery-white hair.

"Perfect," the oldest sister declared. Eve felt her face heat up.

"Come on, Eve!" Ara excitedly whispered. "It's your turn this time."

Eve's sisters watched as she strolled to the center of the bedroom. Eve eyed the mysterious cluster of flower-adorned tiles in front of her, arranged in a way so that they create two circles that surrounded a lone blank tile.

The white-haired princess stepped on the tile with the white lilies first. A bright light under the marble seeped through like some sort of activation cue. She leaped to the red carnation before spinning around and landing on the larkspur. On and on, she danced on the strange flower tiles, each one glowing after her feet pressed against them. Eve reached the purple geranium, Aisha's flower, and then hopped over to Ara's flower, the white lotus. There was only one tile left, her tile. Her blue flats touched the white and pink plumeria, and the activated tiles dissolved into a burst of yellow sparkles. In their place was a long spiraling staircase that led down into the abyss.

Her sisters rushed down the stairs without hesitation, their voices coming out in harsh whispers. Eve followed them from a distance, her mind focusing on the heated conversation that she had with the prince.

"_Prince Chung seemed like a polite and well-mannered man, but what happened earlier was just...so different from what I expected. He didn't accept the wine right away, and…"_

She tried to not think about the way his voice darkened as he directly warned her to leave. It was the first time anyone had spoken to her like that, and just like her sisters had gossiped about before, it sent her mind down a path filled with lust and desire. Her heart found itself wondering if she would be able to hear that tone from him again.

"_Maybe if he fails…"_

"...Ahh!" Eve gasps as she stumbled forward, almost tumbling down the stairs. It felt like her dress got caught on something.

"Eve, hurry up!" Ara called, already at the bottom with the rest of her sisters.

The white-haired princess straightened herself and replied back, "I-I got stuck!"

"It's because that dress is so big!" she heard Ara chuckle at her misstep. Eve moved her gown away from the edge of the stairs and hurried the rest of the way down.

At the bottom of the stairs was a dark hallway; the light at the end beckoned the princesses to an unknown world. They passed through the light, and a garden of impossibility laid before them. Trees made of silver, gold, and even diamonds filled the grassy area. A row of bushes bursting with blue and black roses shoved themselves against the ivy-covered archway as if wanting to leer at the beauty that the twelve princesses were known for.

Past the garden was a giant lake with an island floating in the middle. The isolated piece of land had a large golden border that made it look like a gilded birdcage. As the princesses headed towards the docks, where twelve rowboats and twelve handsome princes waited patiently for them, the island seemed to glow to life, shining brighter as if calling out to its visitors.

Eve stepped into the boat with a prince whose face is covered with a black mask. She couldn't see his face, but she clearly knew who he was, judging from the way she accepted his outstretched hand without hesitation.

"Thank you, Oberon," she said. The prince ignored her and picked up the oar. He began to row towards the island, leaving Eve to her own thoughts. Her mind would have wandered to the prince of Hamel if she didn't notice that something was off.

"We're taking quite a while to get to the island," Eve noted. Oberon was still rowing with the same amount of effort as he had before, but instead of steadily get closer to the island, she found that they were inching slowly across the lake.

"_It has to be my gown...why did I let my sisters pick my dress tonight?"_

…

Chung thought he was prepared for anything. Traps, sleeping gas, even magical hallucinations.

He wasn't expecting himself to be his worst enemy.

When he snuck into the princesses' room, his already rampaging heart swelled to the point of exploding. His honor prevented him from peeking at Eve while she changed, but it didn't stop his mind from imagining all sorts of...devious things.

And when he was finally able to spy on them again, his breath was stolen away by how divine Eve looked. The cute line of bows on her chest, the large blue plaid skirt that matched the color of crystal clear water...

Even his favorite color was being used as a weapon against him. Did they know how much this would affect him?

Apparently, they did. When Eve began her dance on the seemingly meaningless tiles, he found himself in awe of her skills. At first, she was only leaping from one flower to the next, but by the time her feet pressed against the purple geranium, the princess was spinning and lifting her legs as if she was accompanied by a partner.

The tiles dissolved and left behind a flight of stairs that the princesses excitedly used to descend into the darkness. Chung made sure to keep his distance from Eve, but he must have been drawn to the way Eve's dress trailed behind her because, around halfway down, his foot stepped on the back of her skirt. She almost tumbled down the stairs, and he had to bite his lips to stop the apology forming in his throat. Luckily, Eve recovered quickly and didn't dwell on it much further.

When he exited the dark tunnel, the sight of the mythical garden almost kept him rooted in his place. How was it possible that only these princesses knew of such an incredible world? Chung realized that this could be the proof that he needed in order to expose their secret, and without making a sound, he snuck into the garden and took a leaf from each kind of tree. The prince also plucked a blue rose from a bush and ripped off the thorns.

"_If I succeed...then maybe…"_

Despite all that had happened, Chung was still unsure whether or not he should choose one of the princesses as his bride. While he did accept the challenge to uncover their secret, his main goal was to save the princes who had gone missing. But at the same time, he didn't want to come back to his kingdom empty-handed. He might lose it if he had to deal with one more despicable gold digger.

Chung rushed back onto the main path just in time to see the princesses arrive at the docks. His eyes scanned the boats waiting for them, and a tuft of red hair caught his attention. The redhead stretched his arm out to the purple-haired princess, staring at her with a gentle smile.

"_Elsword...I've never seen him like that before…"_

As Chung stepped closer though, Elsword's grin became more distant, his red eyes dull and lifeless. Almost robotically, the missing prince seated his princess and began to row them to the magical island. With a heavy frown, Chung creeped up towards Eve's boat and cautiously sat in the back. The fabric of her skirt brushed against his thigh, and once again, he felt that urge to reach out and feel her in his arms.

Once all of the princesses have finally reached the island, Chung watched as the flowers wrapped around the golden gate burst open, releasing a stream of yellow particles onto the island's guests. The princesses chuckled as they dragged their princes onto the grassy dance floor.

Soon, they were lost in their own world. Nothing could stop them from dancing to their hearts' content. And as for Chung, he sat silently from the tiny rowboat and marveled at the sight before him, not realizing that his eyes were following a certain white-haired princess and the truly brilliant smile on her face.

…

The second and third night passed without much issue. Chung, now used to walking around with the invisibility cloak, spent the next two nights within the hidden land, observing Eve from her small rowboat. While he was mostly hypnotized by the sight of her twirling around like a ballerina inside of a music box, the prince's jealousy for her dancing partner increased the more he watched.

He longed to stand next to her, to learn more about her. Out of all of her siblings, Eve was the only one who gave him space to breathe. Her mysterious yet elegant and kind demeanor appealed to him like no one else had before.

Chung finally realized why the other princes, even his friend Elsword, had failed. They had found something special within one of the princesses and thus could not resist them. The princesses used that to their advantage, deceiving their bewitched victims in order to keep them away from their secret.

He started to see why his father would assume that they were witches. Chung still didn't share the same views, but he conceded that the princesses, for all of their rampant giddiness and outward airheadedness, were masters of using everything to their advantage.

But, in the end, he came out on top.

On the fourth day, Chung stood before the king of Elysion, ready to give his answer.

"So, Prince Chung, did you discover what my daughters are hiding?"

The prince kept a steady stare. He could feel the intensity of the princesses' stares at his head. They were like a pack of wolves, ready to collect their prey.

"Yes, I have. Allow me to present my proof before I begin my explanation." Chung reached into his belongings and pulled out the handful of delicate leaves he had obtained on his first night. He also revealed a golden goblet, something he had found last night by the lake. The prince turned his body so that the princesses could see what he was holding.

Eve widened her eyes.

"H-How…?" she muttered aloud.

"That wine that you've been attempting to give me was a sleeping potion, Princess. While you were distracted, I disposed of it and then pretended to fall asleep," Chung nonchalantly explained. When her cheeks exploded with heat, he couldn't resist smiling a cocky grin, relishing in their shared secret.

"You said you checked, Eve!" Aisha harshly exclaimed, stomping her foot childishly. She looked close to breaking down, but she ultimately composed herself with a trembling frown. Eve wisely kept her head down.

Chung continued his account of what he had witnessed. He told the king about the mechanism in the princesses' room, the mythical garden, the lake with the island, and the missing princes. As his story progressed, the king's daughters all shifted uncomfortably as their haughty demeanor was slowly stripped away.

"Is this the truth?" the king questioned once the prince finished. With guilt in their eyes, the princesses had no choice but to concede. Eve was the one to speak for her sisters.

"He's telling the truth. We're...sorry for keeping this from you, father."

The king was visibly distraught. He slumped in his throne as feelings of betrayal and hurt arose to claim years off of his life. To everyone's surprise, Chung climbed up the stairs and bowed before the king again.

"I was not able to discern the reason why they have hidden this from you, but I think that you should talk to them. I...I do not believe that they had malicious intentions."

Eve was stunned. Was the prince...vouching for them?

The king made a sweeping glance at his daughters. "Perhaps...I should. But first, I must give you your reward. You are free to pick one of them to be your bride."

Lifting himself to his feet, Chung descended back down the stairs and approached the princesses. He stopped in front of Eve...and bent down onto his knees. Pulling out the blue rose that he had plucked the first night, the prince extended the flower out to the speechless maiden.

"Come back to my kingdom, Eve," he merely said.

The white-haired princess, having her breath stolen away by the gesture, stepped forward and touched the thorn-less stem. The rose glowed with yellow light, and it transformed into a golden ring that wrapped around her finger.

Before she could pull her arm back to observe the accessory more, Chung grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. He looked up, and Eve could see the mixture of emotions swirling within his cyan eyes.

Curiosity. Excitement. Nervousness. Desire. Love.

"...Yes, take me with you."

_**Fin.**_


End file.
